The Ascent

I've heard of this movie for the first time during my stay in Serbia. They were screening it at some apparently renowned international film festival taking place there and I checked the website in intention to find more info on that, ending up with finding this hidden game on the presentation list. Must admit that I was sceptical at the beginning, but decided to hop into the unknown and watch it tonight at the local cinema in the Montenegrin capital.

The Ascent is the story of a young writer who escapes the bustling city in order to find mind refuge and inspiration at the mountain hut owned by the strange and reclusive family of field workers, far in the isolated and barely reachable mountain place in northern Montenegro. However, staying there and getting deeply into the family affairs of those strange folks leads him to facing more than he bargained for.

Although it comes from the country that hasn't established itself as a film - making paradise, which it owes much to the presence of the bigger (and more financially potent) former Yugoslav states in the neighbourhood, the Ascent is a surprisingly good movie. Surely it suffers from the typical mystery/horror flaws such as borrowing some motives from the Hollywood production, including the extensive and unnecessary usage of blood. Nevertheless, it features a balloon of refreshing air in imaginative storyline, high quality production and a decent acting delivered by the performers who are probably unknown to anyone outside of the Balkans area (along with the guy playing the role of Zeko who looks like a James Cosmo's twin brother). Mix it with the breathtaking mountain scenery of that God forsaken hills and mountains and you get a movie worth spending 1.5 hours with. My recommendations for this one!